


Substory 3 - Chirithy For A Day

by TheAwkwardStar



Series: Yakuza AU (Kingdom Hearts/Yakuza series) [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts, 龍が如く | Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, more fluff before the angst, this one's pretty lighthearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 07:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20578691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardStar/pseuds/TheAwkwardStar
Summary: Ventus asks Roxas for an unusual favor, which he isn't very happy about. Shenanigans ensue.





	Substory 3 - Chirithy For A Day

**Author's Note:**

> This version of the story is going to be slightly different from Chachacharlieco's animatic, for plot reasons. Hope you enjoy it anyways!

It was morning. Sunlight seeped through the window, crawling up the bed until it reached the sleeping figure’s face. Roxas’s eyes fluttered open. He sat up almost immediately to avoid being blinded by the light on his face. He yawned as he stared out the window. The curtain was slightly drawn.

_ ...Man. I forgot that the sun hits my room directly. I’m closing that curtain better for tonight. _

Roxas promptly pulled the curtain back to block out the rest of the light, then hopped out of bed. He quickly went about his morning routine: brushing his teeth, taking a cold shower, picking out some clothes to wear (which wasn’t from a very wide selection), and finally rummaging the fridge and pantry for breakfast. He settled with a glass of orange juice and a piece of toast. Once he was finished, he headed back up the stairs and knocked on his roommate's door. 

“Hey, Ven. You awake yet?”

No response. Roxas rubbed the back of his head.

_ I guess it would make sense that he’s not awake yet. My alarm didn’t even go off. It must be pretty early…. _

Roxas looked over at the clock in the middle of the hall. It had been there since they moved into the dorm, and it could not be moved. Roxas assumed that the school staff nailed it into the wall as a constant reminder that students had to be on time. It didn’t stop him from coming in late if he felt like it. 

_ Yeah. I won’t bug him anymore. I’ll do something else in the meantime. _

Roxas went back to his room. He started by writing in his journal, which he secretly did every day. It was where he liked to store his thoughts about things, whether they were positive or negative. Secrets he wouldn’t tell anyone. He spent the rest of his time afterward playing video games, strumming his guitar, then (carefully) practicing a new stunt he came up with on his skateboard downstairs. He eventually stopped practicing when he noticed the time for his class was getting close.

_ ...Might as well show up this time. _Roxas sighed, placing his skateboard next to the front door. He turned around to see if Ven was in the kitchen.

...But he wasn’t. Roxas raised an eyebrow.

_ That’s weird. His class is about the same time as mine, and he hasn’t gotten up yet? There’s no way. He’s never late like I am. _

Roxas headed back upstairs. Despite not wanting to bother his brother, he had to admit that he was getting worried. Ventus never missed a day of class or work, no matter what. Both his kindness and diligence were two big reasons why so many people flocked around him, wanting to become friends with Ven. Girls, especially. Most likely from his good looks. 

Meanwhile, the girls (and most other people) avoided Roxas like the plague. Well, that was exaggerating; they simply ignored him unless they wanted a way to get closer to Ven. It could’ve been because of his more serious and reserved demeanor, the fact that he didn’t smile as much or understand some jokes, among other things (which made conversations awkward), or his unwillingness to follow the rules like his bro...but those were just guesses. Roxas had no idea what it was about him, considering they looked_ the same. _ The only girl who genuinely acknowledged him without any ulterior motives was Xion…

He shook his head.

_ ...What am I doing? I need to stop thinking about all this stupid stuff. College drama is pointless compared to what I _ ** _used _ ** _to do... _

Roxas approached Ventus’s door. He knocked again.

“...Ven? Are you okay? It’s almost time for class.”

Nothing but silence. Roxas frowned.

“Okay, bro. You’re starting to weird me out. I’m coming in.”

Roxas opened the door. His eyes widened as he stared at his brother’s limp body, halfway out of the bed. His face was smashed against the carpet. Roxas heard Ven let out a faint moan.

“Whoa, uh...are you okay?” he got closer to Ven and touched his arm. His skin was hot and sweaty.

Ven sniffed loudly and raised his head. His eyes were red and watery, and his nose was running.

_ Ah. He’s sick. _Roxas curved his mouth.

_ “...I’m dying…” _ Ventus slowly placed his head back on the ground. 

“I thought you were dead already. Y’know, since you’re _never _this quiet. What happened?”

“Dunno….” Ventus mumbled. “Woke up...like this….”

“But you're always careful to not get sick. What did you _ do _yesterday?”

Ventus struggled to push himself back up and onto his bed. His arms shook from the effort. 

“I...went to class. Some people crowded around me after to hang out, but I snuck away for work. At work, I was around a lot of kids...who wanted to play and get hugs...I did that. Then I came back here….” 

Roxas crossed his arms.

“I think I see the problem. All that physical contact probably got you sick.”

Ventus groaned as he finally splayed his body all over his bed. 

“...Not my...fault….”

Roxas sighed. “I know. Want me to tell your teachers you're not gonna show up?”

Ventus sat up, his body teetering back and forth.

“No. Have to...go….”

“There is NO way you're going anywhere like that. Lay down.” 

Ventus didn't listen. He was already attempting to pull away from the covers. Roxas pushed him back down onto the bed with little resistance.

“I said_ no. _ You're staying right there. Stop making me touch you or we'll _ both _get sick.”

Ventus placed his arm over his face. Roxas shook his head.

“Promise me you'll stay there. I'll cover for you.”

Ventus nodded weakly. “...Okay…”

Roxas turned to leave but was held back when a hand grabbed his arm.

“Wait…”

“What now?” he glanced back at his Ventus.

“Can you...cover for me...for work?”

He pursed his lips. “...Ven. You know your boss doesn't like me. According to him, I’m nothing but a slacker.”

Ventus coughed, covering his mouth with his other hand. 

“Just...pretend to be me.”

Roxas pulled away.

“What??? I thought you hated it when I used to do that…”

“That was...different.” Ventus cleared his throat. “I thought you did it to mess with me until you said it was because no one was nice to you. I didn't want you to feel like you had to be someone else...just to be liked. It bothered me…”

“...Fair point.” Roxas looked down. “But why do you want me to do this now?”

“Because…if I don't go today, I'll get fired.”

“Are you _ serious?” _ Roxas said with indignation. “What is _wrong _with your boss? You're one of his best employees!”

“...It's the twentieth anniversary of the store. He wants everyone to be there, no matter what…” Ventus breathed out shakily. 

Roxas rubbed his eyes.

“...Alright. I'll go. What do I have to do?”

“You'll have to put on my clothes first…then try acting like me, I guess…”

Roxas nodded. “Okay. That's easy enough. Anything else?”

Ventus sniffed, pulling up his covers a bit. 

“I don't think you're gonna like it....”

Roxas rolled his eyes. “It can't be _ that _bad.”

“...Look in the closet.”

He did as Ventus told him. He opened the closet doors and poked his head inside. Roxas shut it slowly, then turned towards his brother with a dead look in his eyes.

“...No way. I'm not wearing that.”

“Don't back out now!” Ven clapped his hands together. “You said you'd cover for me…!”

“Can't you find a new job?”

Ventus narrowed his eyes.

“Okay, okay!” Roxas raised his hands. “Don't give me that look. I’ll...do it.”

Ventus closed his eyes, appearing relieved.

“...Thanks, bro…there’s instructions...in the drawer…”

Roxas watched as his brother fell asleep almost instantly. He glanced at the costume that was in the closet.

_ ...This sucks. _

****

Roxas spent the rest of the morning struggling to deal with hundreds of people asking him where Ven was. Teachers and students alike that had a deep admiration for him. Of course, they never bothered to ask how Roxas himself was doing. He’d never wanted to leave college more than at that moment. But for his brother’s sake, he wouldn't.

Once classes were over, he went back to the dorm. He put on Ven’s favorite green polo shirt, his sleek blue jeans, and finally the chain necklace he wore all the time with a silver heart at the end. Overall...it wasn't his style. 

Roxas made his way to the place where Ven worked. A small convenience store named “Makudakku”. It was full of useful household products, tools, and food. There was a whole chain of stores around the area with the same name, which was all owned by Ven’s boss. He was a clever businessman, so he had to be very careful. One slip-up and he'd immediately give himself away.

“Ah, Ventus! There ye are!”

Roxas turned around, gulping as the boss approached. He stopped in front of the young man, resting his hands on the top of his cane.

“About time you showed up! I was startin’ to get worried. You remember what I told you would happen if ye didn’t come today?”

Roxas nodded. “...You’d fire me, right?”

_ “Exactly!” _ he slammed his cane down, making Roxas flinch. “I cannae have any youngins slacking off! This is a _ very_ important day for the company. Since it’s your turn to don our mascot’s good name, it's up to you to attract more customers with the act and boost our sales. Reel ‘em in by advertising our products and discounts. Are we clear?”

“Yeah, sure.”

_ “What was that?” _The boss raised an eyebrow. Roxas started to sweat nervously.

_ Crap. That wasn’t convincing at all. Ven would never say it like that. _

“I-I mean…” Roxas raised the pitch of his voice a bit. “Yes, Mr. McDuck.”

“Mr. McDuck_ what, _ boy?” 

“Mr. McDuck, _ Sir!” _Roxas’s voice cracked. He bowed awkwardly. 

Scrooge grunted. “Much better. Now get that mascot costume out of your car and go change. We’re burning daylight just standing here. I’ll come by in an hour or two to check your progress.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Roxas observed the small duck rush into the store. He took the costume out of Ventus’s car and headed inside as well. He noticed a couple of his brother’s coworkers staring at him the moment he entered.

“Damn. Ven’s got the Chirithy shift _again _…” he heard one of them whisper to the cashier. 

“That_ sucks...” _ the cashier replied. “...But I mean...he’s pretty good at it. Better than any of us.”

“Looked like he was enjoying it yesterday, too. The kids were eating that shit up.”

“...We should wish him luck. It's gonna be crazy hot today.”

“Yeah.”

_ Fantastic. Ven never told me I had a reputation to uphold. _Roxas let out an annoyed sigh.

“Yo, Ventus!” The cashier waved. “Good luck out there!”

Roxas smiled and waved back, then sprinted toward the bathroom. He looked down at the giant head he was carrying before he went inside. It felt like those beady blue eyes were staring right into his soul. He shook his head and opened the door, a knot forming in his stomach.

****

Roxas never thought he would have to do something like this. And yet, here he was. Standing in front of a convenience store in a mascot costume. It was deceptively soft of the outside. The inside was hot, smelly, and prickly. So hot that he was already sweating bullets. He hadn't even been outside for more than two minutes.

Roxas looked down at his hands, which were nothing but stubby paws at the moment.

_ ...What am I doing with my life? _

“Hey, look!”

Roxas looked up. He took a step back in alarm as several children wearing backpacks ran up to him. A teacher caught up to the small group and gave him a friendly smile. She had to be one, from the way she was dressed.

“It's Chirithy!” a little girl hopped up and down excitedly.

A small boy waved at Roxas. “Hi, Chirithy!” 

_ Uh...what should I say? _Roxas rubbed the back of his head. The children were watching him expectantly.

“Umm...hi, kids.” he waved back.

The children tilted their heads.

“Are you feeling okay, Chirithy? That's not what you usually say.” 

“Yeah!” a girl nodded in agreement. “You have that neat catchphrase!”

“I...do?”

The children exchanged confused looks. A boy raised his hand.

“Chirithy? Did you forget?”

Roxas rubbed his arm awkwardly.

_ I can't tell them I'm a fake...maybe I should play along with this. _

“Yep. I bonked my head real hard.” Roxas crossed his arms. “I lost my memory right after. What's a poor spirit to do?”

“Oh no!” they exclaimed. “Poor Chirithy…”

“Woe is me. Can't remember a thing.” Roxas pretended to cry by rubbing the mask’s eyes. 

“I have an idea!” the boy that raised his hand earlier stepped forward, then turned to face his schoolmates.

“Let's help Chirithy remember! We'll tell him his catchphrase!”

“Yeah!” the children shook their fists. 

_ Nailed it. Now they'll tell me what I don't know. _

Roxas observed as the children spun around, then shrugged and shook their heads.

“Oh, brother!”

_ ...Really? That's it? I kinda expected something more… _he tapped his foot.

_ It must be how Ven acts it out. There was some spinning after all, and I'll bet the shrug makes it look cuter. Might as well test it. _

Roxas copied the children, spinning around and shrugging. He decided to tilt his head a bit, careful to not let the weight of the mask make him lose balance. 

“Oh, brother!”

“Yay!” the children cheered, clapping loudly. “You got it!”

Roxas gave the children a thumbs up, making them giggle.

_ One hurdle down. What's next? _

The children were staring at him again. Roxas twiddled his fingers.

“Aren't you gonna do something fun today?” one of the children inquired.

“Of course! Just, uh...give me a second.” he looked down.

_ Think, Roxas. You kinda skimmed over those instructions Ven gave you, but you have to remember some of it! That's all you have to do. _

He raised his head to look at the children, seeing if it would come to him. They leaned forward.

“.....”

“...........”

“....................”

_ ...Nothing. My brain is blank. I have to do SOMETHING before Scrooge shows up! _

Roxas closed his eyes.

_ What would Ventus do? _

He stood there in silence, thinking for a few seconds. Roxas gasped when an idea popped into his head.

_ That's it! _

Roxas kneeled.

“Heya, kiddos. Wanna see something cool?”

The children exchanged excited looks at each other. They nodded vigorously.

“Alright. Could you give me some space, please?”

The children did as they were told, backing away from him. Roxas took a deep breath.

_ ...Here goes. _

Roxas crouched on the ground, then started spinning his legs. He eventually gained enough speed to rotate them in a circular motion, while resting his head and back on the concrete as he turned. He heard several ‘oooohs' and ‘ahhhhs' from his tiny audience. He stopped with a pose at the end, resting his head on his bent arm. The children squealed happily, clapping at his performance. He stood back up and dusted off the costume.

_ Even if I don't know what to say, seems dancing catches their attention. I should thank Ven later for teaching me… _

Roxas glanced over at the sign in front of the store. He smirked.

_ I can work with this. _

****

Roxas spent the next hour doing more dance moves and tricks with the sign, as well as pointing out any deals and savings to customers that passed by. Eventually, the small class of schoolchildren left with their teacher. With no one around the store, Roxas sat down on a nearby chair that Ven’s coworkers had left out for him. They’d even handed him a water bottle. Roxas looked around, making sure that there truly was no one before pulling up the mask a little. He was desperate to quench his thirst from the heat.

“Enjoying yourself, lad?”

Roxas choked on his water. He dropped the mask back down over his head and looked at Scrooge, who had appeared out of nowhere.

“S...sorry, Sir.”

“Bah. Don’t apologize.” Scrooge waved his cane dismissively. “I can understand that you needed a small break. Especially in this awful weather. Believe me, I know a thing or two about the sweltering heat.”

“You don’t say.”

“That’s a story for another day.” Scrooge cleared his throat. “Now then. When you’re finished with that drink, I expect you to get right back to work. Can’t ruin the experience for the kiddies with Chirithy’s decapitated head next to you!” he chuckled. 

“Of course, Mr. McDuck.”

“And another thing.” Scrooge started to pace back and forth. “For the past few weeks, while you were on mascot duty, it seems that Chirithy gained a lot of attention from the children. As well as...a local news station.”

_ Oh, no. _Roxas clenched his hands.

_  
_“I got a call from them just before I came out here. Apparently, they would like to interview Chirithy for their fluff piece. See what the secret behind his charm is. While I thought it was a bunch of nonsense at first, I realized what it could mean for the Makudakku store chain. It would increase people’s awareness, which would increase the number of customers we get, which means more profit!” 

Scrooge grinned. “I would be a fool if I didn’t take this opportunity. After all, I didn’t gain my fortune by lying around and sucking my thumb. It was about taking _ action!” _

_ You’re not the one in the Chirithy costume… _Roxas huffed.

“So, Ventus. Can I count on you to do this interview?”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Scrooge shrugged. “Not really, no. But on the plus side, if you do_ well... _I’ll give ye a raise. How’s that for some incentive?”

Roxas sighed. “I guess I’ll do my best, then.”

“Atta boy!” the elderly duck patted his shoulder. “And besides, you’re a very good conversationalist. Perhaps even better than me.”

“Yep. I sure am.” Roxas forced a smile.

“In that case, I’d better start getting things ready. When it's time, I’ll come back here and greet the interviewers. So just know that I'll be _watching _you this time. No pressure.”

Scrooge patted his shoulder, then entered the store again. Roxas sighed, shaking his head wearily.

_ ...I should charge Ven for making me do this. _

****

About an hour passed when the reporters from the news station appeared. Scrooge went to welcome them as he promised, shook the reporter’s hand, then led her and the rest of her crew to Roxas.

“Here he is! Makudakku’s pride and joy! The one, the only, Chirithy!”

_ Right. The greeting. _Roxas spun around and struck the same pose from before.

“Oh, brother!”

The news reporter stifled a laugh. Roxas felt his face heat up from blushing. At least the mask was covering it.

“I can see why he's entertaining for the kids. Oh! And speaking of which, the headmaster and headmistress of Sunset Orphanage gave us a call. They'll be coming by so the children can ask Chirithy all of their burning questions!”

“Is that so?” Scrooge smiled. 

The reporter nodded. “We felt it would be more authentic to have children ask questions rather than myself. I'll start with the intro to our broadcast, then they'll take over. Is that all right?”

“I see no problem with that!” the duck chortled.

_ Wait. Sunset Orphanage…? _ Roxas scratched his head. _ That sounds familiar… _

His eyes widened. 

_ Wait. That's where Ven, Aqua, and I were RAISED! I have to perform in front of THEM?!? _

“And you, Chirithy? What do you think?”

Roxas blinked. He quickly shot the reporter a thumbs up in agreement. Scrooge raised his eyebrow.

“They should be coming right about…” the reporter looked down at her watch. “...Now.”

_ Now??? _he started to sweat even more inside the suit, which wasn’t improving the smell.

Surely enough, Roxas noticed another group of children approaching with two adults. Just as the reporter had told them. He gritted his teeth.

_ No pressure, huh? Yeah right. _

“You must be the nice woman we spoke to on the phone!” the headmistress shook her hand. “Whenever you’re ready to start, so are we. The kids can’t wait to speak with Chirithy!”

Roxas looked at the children. They were chattering excitedly amongst themselves, peeking past the headmaster at the mascot. He sighed.

_ This is going to be a long day… _

“Ready?” she heard the reporter whisper to the cameraman. He gave her a nod. The reporter straightened her suit and smoothed out her hair as the music started playing. 

“On in three...two…” the cameraman mouthed ‘one’.

“Good afternoon, Kamurocho! This is Tifa Lockhart, reporting live from the Makudakku Convenience Store on West Shichifuku Street. We have several special guests on our show today, including the famous Makudakku mascot Chirithy. Is there anything you’d like to say to the audience before we start?”

Tifa raised the microphone to the mascot’s mouth, which was the entirety of his face on the inside. Roxas noticed Scrooge watching from afar with a serious expression. 

_ Don’t panic. Just...act optimistic for now. _

“Happy to be here for the kids!” he pointed at the orphans. All of their faces lit up instantly.

_ Yeah. That sounds like something Ven would say. Scrooge seems satisfied with that answer too. _He stole another glance at the boss, who appeared slightly relieved.

“That’s so sweet!” Tifa clapped her hands together, then looked back at the camera.

.“It seems that the rumors are true; Chirithy is a genuine, kind-hearted soul! Let’s see what the children want to know about their favorite fluffy spirit!”

The cameraman turned the camera. The headmaster motioned for the children to approach Chirithy. They crowded Roxas almost immediately and began bombarding him with questions and nonsensical comments. A few of them even dared to start touching the costume’s fur.

“You’re so_ soft!” _

“Do you eat candy or stars?”

“Can you make bad dreams go away?”

_ “Do you play Classic Kingdom??? I play it all the time!” _

“Yeah, you’re always hogging it!”

“Is it hard to grab and eat stuff with those stubby paws?”

“Can you get sad or mad?”

“Please come home with us!”

“One at a time, please!” the headmaster shouted. The children quieted down and stopped touching him, appearing guilty. 

The headmaster sighed. “Sorry. They’re always like this with things they like. It’s not easy to calm them down.”

Roxas shook his head. “It’s fine. I know they’re excited. I can handle it.”

He turned to face the kids, putting his hands on his sides.

“All right, kiddos. If you wanna ask me something, just raise your hands and I’ll pick one of you. Don’t stress out your guardians, okay?”

“Yes, Chirithy…” they said in unison. 

“Great! Now, who wants to go first?”

“Me! Me!” they all raised their hands.

_ Whoa, okay. I wasn’t expecting that. Let’s see… _ Roxas scanned the crowd. He pointed at a little girl that was wearing a red ribbon with white polka dots.

“How about you?”

“U-um…” the girl put her arm down and hugged her stuffed animal. “Do...do you like cats…?”

“I sure do!” Roxas recalled the outer design of the outfit. “I’m part cat myself!”

“You...you are?” the girl stared at him in awe.

“Yup!” he nodded. “Pretty sure I’ve got a bit of dog and bear in me, too!”

The girl buried her face into her teddy bear. 

“So cool…”

“Pick me next!” a boy wearing a slightly oversized pair of shoes waved his hand frantically.

Roxas chuckled, then pointed at him. “What’s got you so worked up?”

“I have to know!” the boy puffed out his cheeks. “Can you teleport???”

“C’mon, you know he can’t!” another boy protested.

“No one asked you!” he stomped his foot. “I wanna hear it from Chirithy! So? Can you or can’t you???”

_ Hmm...I think Ven’s instructions said something about Chirithy being a Dream Eater. I’ll see what I can come up with. Maybe what the kid says will give me some hints. _

Roxas kneeled, startling the boy a little.

“Well, what do you think?”

“If...if you’re a magical spirit and you keep people’s dreams safe, then that must mean you t-teleport!” the boy stammered. “How would you be able to look after everyone in one night otherwise?”

“You raise a very good point, kiddo.” Roxas ruffled his hair. 

“I can’t tell you directly.” he leaned towards the boy’s left ear. “It’s a secret.”

The boy gasped, then bobbed his head. He placed his index finger on his mouth.

“But I can say that no matter how far away you think you might be, I’ll always be there to keep your dreams safe. Is that okay for an answer?”

“Yeah!” the boy pumped his fists. “It was a perfect answer! Now I know the truth. Thank you, Chirithy!” 

The little boy bowed politely, then rejoined the group of children. 

_ Doing good so far. I’ve still got ‘em convinced that I’m really Ventus. Just have to keep this up for a little while longer...if I don’t pass out from heatstroke first. _

Another girl wearing a flower jumped up and down, waving her hand.

“Me next! Me next!”

“Alright, let’s go with you.” he pointed at the girl. “Nice hair clip, by the way!”

The girl reached up to her clip, then gave him a wide smile. 

“Thank you!”

“What’s your question?” Roxas tilted his head.

“I heard that you can dance! Is that true?”

Roxas grinned. “...Want me to show you?”

“YEAH!!!” the children screamed in unison.

“Okay! One dance number, coming right up!”

Roxas performed the same tricks from earlier, quickly coming up with a few newer ones in the meantime. The children squealed in delight as they watched. Scrooge gave him a nod of approval. 

Roxas breathed in and out heavily after doing a backflip. He noticed that the sun was beginning to go down.

_ I might pull this off…! _

“SHUT THE HELL UP!!!”

The children stopped cheering, alarmed by the harsh, threatening voice that spoke up. Roxas stood up straight as a group of thugs and two others in black tuxedos pushed through the crowd. There was one man, in particular, that was surrounded by them. He seemed more refined than the rest.

“All your noise is pissing off our boss! Can't you see how stressed out he is???” 

Roxas and the others looked at the man in the center. His expression was calm and collected.

“I think everyone here can agree that he doesn't look stressed at all.” Tifa put her hands on her hips.

“What’d you say, bitch?!?” one of the thugs snapped. “Don’t you realize who you’re talking to???”

“...Not really?” Tifa shook her head. “You need to calm down and watch your language. You're scaring the children. So if you could just move along, we’re in the middle of a-”

“This is Setzer!” the man yelled, interrupting her. “Not only is he a hell of a good gambler, but he’s also the best goddamn dealer in Havoc’s Casino! Show some respect!”

Scrooge scoffed. “Looks to me like you’re just kissing up to that frilly boy. How much is he paying you to crowd around him?”

“You've got some nerve, talking to us like that!” the thug retorted.

"I'm just saying it how I see it. Go home, young man. Reconsider your life choices before you do something stupid. Which, judging by your entire look, you've probably done _ plenty _ of already."

The thug grunted, then turned his attention to the men in black suits. 

“Hey, you! Turks!” He pointed at Scrooge. “Show the old man what happens when you diss Setzer and his crew!!!”

They immediately rushed Scrooge and lifted him by the arms. Tifa spread out her arms to defend the children from the approaching criminals.

“Put me _ down, _ you savages!!!” Scrooge exclaimed, hitting one of them on the head with his cane as he kicked his webbed feet frantically. 

"When I free myself, I'll show you what for! AND I'll force ye to pay for any damage to my store!!!"

"That ain't happening, old man." the thug cracked his knuckles. "When I'm finished with you, you won't live to see another day!"

The thug reeled back with his fist. Scrooge turned his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

...Nothing happened. He cautiously opened one eye to see why he hadn't been beaten into a bloody pulp yet. He gawked at his mascot, who blocked the fist with a hand that came right out of Chirithy's mouth.

"Scaring women and children, _ and _trying to beat up an old man? _ People like you piss me off." _

Roxas twisted the thug's arm, then shoved him back. The thug seemed to be intimidated but still refused to back down. He glanced over at the rest of Setzer's men.

"What the hell are you guys waiting for?!? _ Get him!" _

The thugs and Turks rushed at Roxas. He picked up the store sign from before and spun it around. 

"Alright, then. _ Let's dance." _

Before he could react, Roxas rammed a corner of the sign into the first Turks’ abdomen. He collapsed from the pain as another ran past him. He shoved the sign into the second one’s neck, making him choke as he fell to his knees. Roxas kicked him as hard as he could, knocking out a few teeth in the process. A heavier thug yelled as he attempted to swing one of his large fists at the mascot. Roxas managed to block it with the sign as the man’s arm went right through it. He pulled the man towards him and headbutted him with the mask, which was a_ lot _harder than it looked. Disoriented, the large thug swung around blindly a few times before passing out. His comrades defeated, the thug who instigated the fight fell to his knees in disbelief.

“What the hell…” he looked at the Chirithy’s deadpan, beady eyes. 

“...What kind of mascot _ are _you???”

“One that protects innocents from creeps like you.” Roxas approached the man, who scrambled back in fear.

“S-stay back!” the thug’s voice quivered. “Please don’t hurt me!”

“I’m going to let you off with a_ warning. _ Don’t harass anyone around this store or anywhere else. _ I will know_. And let the kids have their fun if they want to. If I ever see you around here again, _ you’ll regret it.” _

“Ahhh!_ I’m sorry!” _The man shot up from the ground and started running. “I’ll never make trouble again!!!”

Roxas noticed Setzer shaking his head in disappointment. He gave the mascot a faint smile.

“Looks like I lost this game. I don't _like _to lose, but you've earned my respect, ‘Chirithy'. Perhaps we'll meet again someday.”

Setzer strolled away from the store, heading in the direction of where his lackeys ran. Roxas nodded firmly.

“That’ll teach them.”

A few seconds later, he froze up. He’d been so caught up in the fight, that he hadn’t realized...

_ ...The kids were watching. The news reporters were watching. SCROOGE was watching. Oh god. I probably got my brother fired. _He began to sweat.

_ Ven is gonna_ **_kill _**_me. _

...But much to his surprise, he was suddenly met with applause. The children and the reporters were _clapping _and _cheering _for him. He looked over at them, speechless.

“That was so cool!” one of the children exclaimed.

“Chirithy is a BEAST!”

“He _is _the best spirit in the whole wide world!”

“Thank you for protecting us!”

“We love you, Chirithy!”

Roxas was thankful for the fact that the mask couldn’t show his true face at that moment, which was currently beet red from all the flattery. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“...Thanks, you guys…”

“Those were some nice moves back there, kid.”

Roxas turned his attention over to Tifa, who approached him with a friendly smile.

“I’m a bit of a fighter myself.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” Tifa looked at her suit and sighed.

“Despite my appearance, martial arts and boxing is my real passion. But I don’t have anyone to spar with anymore.”

“...So, if you ever want to hone those skills of yours, give me a call.” Tifa handed him a business card. It appeared to be one from the news station with her name and number. 

“I could use a refresher, and maybe it’ll whip you into better shape.”

“Uh, thanks.” Roxas watched her head back to the rest of her crew.

“I knew you had it in ya!” Scrooge lightly punched his arm. “I expect nothing less from the great Chirithy!”

“Thank you, Mr. McDuck.” he bowed respectfully. 

Scrooge motioned with his index finger for Roxas to get closer. He bent down to hear whatever the boss had to say.

“I appreciate ye for saving me tail feathers back there...Roxas.” Scrooge winked.

Roxas rose in shock. “W...when did you figure it out???”

“I’m Scrooge McDuck! No one can fool me for long. Not even a pair of identical twins. Nice try, though.” he snickered. 

“Any particular reason why you two tried to trick me?”

“...Ven was sick.” Roxas twiddled his fingers. “He told me to cover for him because he was worried you’d fire him…”

“Nonsense!” Scrooge shook his head. “I’d never fire one of my best workers! What I said earlier was just to scare ye into working harder."

Roxas crossed his arms.

"What? I'm not _heartless. _But I suppose I _ do _give off that vibe…” Scrooge sighed.

Roxas nodded in agreement. “He didn’t mean any harm by sending me. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for, lad?” he patted Roxas on the back. “If anything, I should be_ thanking _you for singlehandedly protecting my store and those children. I should also apologize for calling you a useless layabout before. You reminded me a bit too much of my nephew at the time. No hard feelings?”

Scrooge extended his hand toward Roxas. The young man shook it, smiling from inside the costume.

“Yeah. No hard feelings. By the way, can I take off this stuffy outfit now?”

“Of course you can!” Scrooge pointed at the reporters and the children, who were ogling them at a fair distance.

_ “After _you tend to your adoring fanbase.”

Roxas smirked, shaking his head. 

“..Fair enough.”

****

After an hour had passed, the reporters finished filming and drove back to the station. The headmaster and headmistress of the orphanage were close to doing the same since the children were tired, but stopped for a few minutes to speak with the mascot.

“We truly respect you for everything you’ve done, Chirithy.” the headmistress leaned closer. 

“...What’s your real name, by the way?”

“It’s, uh…” Roxas paused. “...Ventus.”

She chuckled. “You don’t sound very sure.”

“...It’s a long story.”

Roxas bit his lip. There was something he wanted to ask the two that were in charge of his old home now.

“You two are from Sunset Orphanage, right?”

The headmaster nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Any idea on what happened to the old headmistress?”

“She passed away shortly after upgrading our status as volunteers.” the headmistress smiled with a faraway look in her eyes. “She had a lot of faith in us.”

“Not a lot of people are willing to work at orphanages around here, let alone volunteer.” the headmaster looked down. “She always thought it was a miracle that people as young as us were willing to put in the effort.”

“You sound like nice people. I’m glad the orphanage is still in good hands.” Roxas smiled faintly. “What made you want to work there in the first place?”

The headmaster and headmistress exchanged a saddened glance. They lowered their heads.

“Well...it’s hard to explain.” the headmistress pushed back a strand of her jet black hair.

“...A long time ago, we met a little boy. He was an orphan as well, and not a very happy one. We wanted to help him, but...he refused and went off on his own.”

“We were cops, once. But a few months after that incident, we quit.” the headmaster frowned a little. “Something about the police in this city didn’t sit well with us, so we decided to stop being a part of it. That, and...we wanted to try and help other kids like him. I hope that wherever that boy is, he’s doing alright...”

“That’s pretty inspiring.” Roxas raised an eyebrow. “And...kinda mysterious. Sounds like you guys went through a lot.”

“I suppose we did. But we came out stronger because of it.” the headmistress closed her eyes. “With that strength, we can make more of a difference than we ever did in the force. Starting with these kids.”

“Well, good luck. I hope things work out for you, err…”

“Skuld. It was nice meeting you, Ventus. Oh! I mean ‘Chirithy’.” she placed a hand over her mouth. “Sorry! I shouldn’t have said that so loud in front of the kids.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t think they heard you.” the headmaster looked over at the children, who seemed to be dozing off a bit.

“I’m Ephemer, by the way.” he shook Roxas’s hand. “Thanks again, for protecting the kids. It means a lot to us.”

“No problem.” Roxas gave him a thumbs up. “Feel free to bring them around anytime.”

“Will do.” Ephemer grinned brightly at him.

“Come on, Dandelions!” Skuld picked up the girl with the red-and-white polka-dotted ribbon, who was fast asleep. “Let’s go home.”

Roxas waved goodbye to Ephemer, Skuld, and the children as they left. Once they were out of sight, he rushed inside the store and pulled off the mask, feeling instant relief as the cold air conditioning hit his face. His bangs felt wet and sticky against his forehead.

“Ugh. I’m gonna need a long shower after this…”


End file.
